CHALLENGES REMAIN .. DESPITE A 15 PERCENT DROP IN HOMELESSNESS OVER THE PAST YEAR IN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS... TODAY.. UNITY OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS.. IS RELEASING ITS FINDINGS.. WDSU'S CASEY FERAND SHOWS US WHAT'S BEING DONE TO END HOMELESSNESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY... OFFICIALS WITH UNITY OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS SAY HOMELESSNESS WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST IN NEW ORLENAS... AS LONG AS THERE IS A HIGH RATE OF POVERTY HERE. BUT NUMBERS OUT TODAY SHOW... A START DECLINE IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION... POST-KATRINA. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING KATRINA... MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY WAS LEFT HOMELESS. IN 2007 THE NUMBERS REACHED 11,619 PEOPLE. UNITY DETERMINED ON THE NIGHT OF MARCH 31 THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS CITYWIDE IS DOWN TO 1,981 PEOPLE. THAT REFLECTS THE people WHO WERE SLEEPING ON THE STREETS OF JEFFERSON AND ORLEANS PARISH, IN SHELTERS, SERVICE CENTER ANS ABANDONED BUILDING ON THAT ONE NIGHT. THAT IS A DROP OF MORE THAN 15 PERCENT FROM LAST YEARS COUNT AND 83 PERCENT FROM THE 2007 COUNT. THIS MARKS A MILESTON ... BECAUSE THE CURRENT NUMBERS ARE 3 PERCENT LOWER THAN UNITY'S 2005 COUNT. UNITY OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS IS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR A COLLABORATION BETWEEN 60 NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER TO END HOMELESSNESS BY PROVIDING HOUSING AND SERVICES. BUT OFFICIALS SAY THERE IS STILL NOT ENOUGH ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ALHOUGH THE HOMLESSNESS RATES HAVE DROPED AMONG CHILDREN, FAMILIES, VETERANS AND CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PEOPLE, IT'S ACTUALLY INCREASED AMONG YOUNG CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PEOPLE, IT'S ACTUALLY INCREASED AMONG YOUNG ADULTS. ON YOUR SIDE CASEY FERRAND WDSU NEWS. IN WASHINGTON PARISH... AN 11- YEAR-OLD BOY KIDNAPPED IN